If Ever I Would Leave You
by elanordaughterofeowyn
Summary: When medical student Elise Kirk gets magically transported to the year 1738 she has a lot to grapple with when a nearby merchant ship is attacked by pirates and she is the caregiver of a sailor. Rescued by Norrington's crew, Elsie finds an adventure. **CHAPTER 9 UPDATED**
1. Chapter 1

"Elsie. ELSIE!"

"Wha?" Elsie Kirk jumped as she was jolted awake by the sound of her teacher, Mrs. Davenworth.

"Oh, um, hysterosalpingo-oophorectomy." Rattling off the answer to the medical terminology question, Elsie felt all the eyes of her fellow classmates burn into the back of her head as she perked up in her seat.

"Very good, and Miss Kirk, please try to stay awake during my lecture. Now everyone please break out your Medical terminology textbooks. I think now would be a great time to listen to the audio cd before we go on break." Elsie rolled her eyes as she went back to her former position of her head in her hands exhausted from another night of sleeplessness. Being so driven on getting her medical degree completed, Elsie was sacrificing everything to get the top grade; even sleep. Now she was paying for it.

As the teacher prepped the computer for the audio cd, Elsie could feel the entire class groan. She looked down at her name badge and scowled at the terrible picture that she had taken. _Why do hospital ID badges end up looking like mug shots?_ Not wanting to get yelled at again for not paying attention, Elsie reluctantly pulled out her med term book and flipped through the pages. This chapter was going to take forever! Within the next few minutes, Mrs. Davenworth had started the cd.

After an excruciating 20 minutes of medical terms, Elsie got bored trying to follow along. At least Mrs. Davenworth had the courtesy to keep the projector going with the media player on the screen. In order to keep their attention, she always had this cool background that morphs into another one. It has almost a kaleidoscope feeling to it. Today was not Elsie's day and she found herself staring at the blend of colors on the screen. Everything began to fade from there. _Wait! Everything is fading!_ Elsie jumped up to try to wake up out of this trance, but when she did, no one looked at her. Time felt like it was slowing down or stopping. All of a sudden, the screen seemed to be rushing towards her. The blend of colors swirled around Elsie and she felt a strange sensation. _Ummmmm Aslan? _She thought of her favorite book series and their talk about magic. The pulling/tugging sensation increased until it felt as though she was about to get ripped from limb to limb. And then Elsie was gone.

Her classroom in the basement of the hospital was nowhere to be found, and Elsie had no clue as to where she was now. Then she felt it. Elsie opened her eyes, but it stung to have them open for more than a few seconds. It was cold, dark and wet. _Oh crap! I am underwater! Don't panic Elsie, don't panic... _She tried to swim up to the surface, but she couldn't seem to get her bearings as to what was up and what was down. _I need air now! _After a few moments of struggling, fate began to set in. _I am going to die a horrible death. God, take me now. _And then an idea hit her. She opened her eyes, no matter the pain, and looked around. There were a few rays of light that seemed to glitter and dance across her vision, and Elsie struggled to swim towards it. As she gazed on the beautiful rays, she practically forgot the urgency of her situation. She was calm and felt strangely at peace. And then it happened! She broke the surface of the water.

"Great, I am in the middle of the ocean!" She ventured to swim in a circle to see if there was something that she could float on, but there was nothing. It was just open sea. Treading water for a while, Elsie began to grow tired. The only way she could stay afloat was if she lay on her back. Time seemed to pass at an incredibly slow rate. She watched the sun move slowly across the sky until the last rays of light dipped into the ocean. Being alone in the dark, Elise shivered as she looked up at the stars. It was funny; she had never seen the stars like this before. Living in Manhattan, the stars that she saw were on Broadway or real stars at a planetarium. But being in the water, Elsie saw for the first time in years the wonderful constellations that she had learned about when she was a child.

When the sun peeked over the horizon, tendrils of light fell on Elsie's sleeping form. She tried to turn over as if she was in her bed sound asleep, but she was taken by the fact that she was submerged under water. Shaking her head out of its morning fog, she realized that it wasn't a dream. This had all happened. But before her eyes, she saw the most beautiful thing. In her entire life, she had never seen a sunrise like this. The sky was still dark, but on the horizon, there was promise of light. Then the sky turned orange and then quickly morphed into a lighter shade. The sun on the horizon was a deep orange, but after a few minutes, it was a brilliant yellow that took Elise's breath away. She was in a trance, but quickly looked away for the pain was too great. After she looked away, great black spots filled her vision, but when she was able to see again, she saw a ship on the horizon. "I am saved!"

The ship that she saw slowly made its way towards her. But Elsie grew confused. The ship that was moving towards her had masts! She searched her memory as she recalled a lovely trip to Royal Navy Museum in England just a few years ago. She had seen ships like this before. But those ships didn't sail open waters anymore. Elsie grew very confused as the ship came up even closer. The sails were bleached white and caught the morning breeze filling them like clouds. A great flag flew British colors and flapped in the wind. It wasn't a large vessel, but from her point of view, it was huge. Despite everything that she saw, her one priority was getting rescued. Being a small person in a large ocean, Elsie began waving her arms and shouting trying to get the attention of the crew. It wasn't long before she heard a voice shout, "Man overboard!" Smiling at the prospect of being saved, Elsie breathed a sigh of relief. The ship was now very close and she could see men peering at her and pointing. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she knew what was happening when a boat was lowered into the water with a few sailors. They rowed towards her and Elise swam to come alongside. A very good looking sailor reached his arm out to her and smiled.

"Need a hand, Miss?" He asked while his blue eyes gazed into her's as she took his outstretched hand. Before Elsie could reply, the sailor's eyes grew wide with anxiety and concern.

"What is it?" Elsie asked when she saw his face pale and his eyes widen. She almost yelped when he pushed her back in the water when thunder rolled in the distance. "Wait! What are you doing?"

"Miss, look! That sound you heard was no thunder. That is a pirate ship. Trust me, you do not wish to be caught with them around. Please, just go! Hide." After he quickly explained what was so terrifying, the first wave of shots made their mark on the ship. Splinters of wood exploded as men in the boat began shouting orders to return to the ship. Afraid for her life now, Elsie turned to see another ship emerging from the mist that still hung over the ocean. It was a ship with many guns and terrible looking sails with a great, black flag. On the flag was the skull and crossbones and an hourglass, as if telling the poor souls that they preyed on that their time had run out to live. Elsie knew there would be no survivors. The merchant ship that she closest to had only a few guns, and Elsie knew they would not win this fight. The sailor that had pushed her back into the water mouthed for her to go to the back of the ship where she couldn't be seen. Then the boat rowed back to the ship and quickly was pulled up so that the others could help make their last stand.

Elsie swam as fast as she could to the other end of the ship to try to not be seen by the other vessel. Torn between her curiosity and her fear of the whole situation, she cocked her ear to hear what was happening. Shouts from the men on deck carried across the water as the fighting heated. And then all seemed to stop. Everything seemed calm until a voice rang out breaking the silence.

"We seem to have come to an impasse as it were. Would any of you like to come out and tell me what I wish to know, I be in a good mood."

"Never, you lying-"The man that Elsie heard call out was suddenly silenced and she soon knew why. The man was killed and then pushed into the water. Elsie covered her mouth to try to hold back a startled scream. The sailor's dead body slowly sunk and at that moment, she was determined to save the rest of the crew. But she knew she was but one person, and from her father's military background, she knew a little about strategy. She needed a plan. While all this had occurred, the pirate captain called out again.

"Perhaps you misunderstood my intentions. You will tell me what I want to know. I am Captain Bowman and you will fear me. TELL ME where Jack Sparrow is. He has to be around here somewhere!" Bowman growled at the crew. "For if you do not tell me, you will all die!"

"Captain Bowman! We know not of Jack Sparrow or what you seek from him. We are but merchants who sail these waters." A brave soul spoke out. It sounded to Elsie like the sailor who had reached out to her.

"Then you will die. Tie 'em up." Elsie heard the shuffle of feet on deck as the pirates presumably gathered the crew. It was going to be a massacre. The pirate ship cast off from the merchant and began firing. Elsie swam as fast as she could to get away from the ship, tears blinding her eyes. She watched in horror as the pirate ship sailed away looking for that Jack Sparrow. Then an idea hit her. Perhaps there was some chance that they could have jumped ship! Elsie swam as quickly as she could to try to get to the wreckage. Smoke flew into her eyes and caused them to water so that she couldn't see. It also entered her lungs causing Elsie to cough violently. She was most defiantly out of breath, but kept looking in the wreckage for survivors. And then she found a poor sailor that had helped her. He was badly hurt with deep cuts all across his back and was floating face down in the water. Elsie pushed aside her feelings of fear as she turned him over in the water and began monitoring his vitals. She was glad that her training had kicked in because under any normal circumstances, she may have passed out. But Elsie quickly turned her attention to that poor sailor. Besides his pulse, the only thing that would have indicated that he was still alive was the small moan that escaped his lips and the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Hope kindled inside of her.

"My name is Elsie, can you hear me? Come on, come on, you have to make it. Please, please, I promise you I will stay by you. Just please wake up!" Tears again welled up in Elsie's eyes threatening to spill over, but she was not going to let her emotions get in the way of helping him. Elsie urged him to stay alive hoping her will power alone would save him. He was very young, early 20's she would have guessed, with a pleasant face and fair colored hair. The sailor reminded her of someone, but Elsie didn't want to think about it. She soon found a piece of wreckage that was able to support us both and she gently transferred him to it as carefully as she could. After he was situated, Elsie collapsed next to him. Exhaustion overcame her muscles and body. Treading water for so long had taken its toll. Keeping an eye on the sailor, Elsie thought of all of those men who died without a fight and she had to sit by and watch. All of her training was for nothing. She just floated dumbstruck as she looked at the smoke. "Well, my chances of my surviving this have greatly decreased." Hours seemed to pass as Elsie floated with this sailor. His vitals were week and they felt as if they were dropping, but there wasn't anything she could do. To try to pass time and not think about how much he looked like Stephen, Elsie counted clouds through the smoke, but that soon grew tiresome.

"Cantate Domino…" She softly sang as the sun began to make its way over her head. After everything that had happened, her moral began to sink. Her thoughts did stray to what will become of them. _Will I die here on a piece wood with an unconscious sailor by me? Or will I be rescued? _Despair fell over her as she sighed._ And who will come?_ With that thought, Elsie felt her world spinning and then fading into black.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN **Hello readers! I would like to say a special thanks to the people who reviewed my story! I love getting comments and seeing if you like it! Please, please, please review and let me know what you think! This chapter is a tad short, but I promise the story will pick up!

Oh and I do not own POTC or any of their characters... I wish I did, but that is not possible... Well Enjoy!

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><p>Lieutenant Phillip Gillette scanned the waters as he walked over to his friend Lieutenant Theodore Groves. "Well, Theo, I think that we may have been wrong about the reports we received about pirates in this area." He smiled as his friend's only response was a definite "Hmmph".<p>

"Gillette, you will see that I am in fact looking forward to proving you wrong. There has been word of a new band of pirates that have been spotted in this very area, so if you would like to continue to dispute-"

"You know, if I didn't know any better, you actually want us to find some pirates." Gillette interrupted getting a glare from Groves. "Is that not so?"

"Well we are already here! Why not bring back some spoil of war! Pirates are the scum of society that need to be brought to justice. That is what any honorable man would do, after all."

"Yes, that is true. I think that-" Gillette stopped in mid-sentence when something on the horizon caught his eye. He whipped out his spyglass to investigate further only to see smoke.

"Gillette, what is it that you see?" Groves quickly inquired noticing his friend's jovial mood change to one of the utmost gravity.

"Go get the Captain! And tell him it is urgent." Doing as he was bidden, Groves quickly covered the space of the deck in a few long strides. More sailors began to look at the smoke, and the crew pulsed with a mixture of surprise, excitement and for some, anxiety. When Captain James Norrington emerged from his office a few moments later, all sailors and officers alike returned to their duties, no matter their curiosity. Gillette quickly saw his captain and walked over to him ready to give his report.

"Lieutenant Gillette, report."

Briefly nodding, Gillette started in. "Captain Norrington, we have spotted a ship off the starboard side that seems to have been destroyed by an unknown manner. Your orders sir?" Gillette stood by the Captain ready to call out orders to the rest of the crew. Groves was close behind with his spyglass looking at the great black cloud that drifted out of the sea.

"Bloody pirates!" Groves muttered to himself as he collapsed his spyglass with disgust unaware that his superior heard him.

"Lieutenant Groves, that will do. We cannot assume that every ship that is lost at sea is due to the work of pirates. Lieutenant Gillette, plot our heading. Alert the men that we are going to see if there are any survivors and investigate this odd and unfortunate incident." Captain Norrington returned to looking at his charts as his subordinates went to carry out his orders with a firm "Aye, Sir". Captain Norrington sighed as he turned over his charts to the next set of maps of recent pirate activity. Pirates were the worst of sorts when it came to sinking ships in the Caribbean. It was his duty to the Crown to rid the seas of their like no matter the cost. And that was just what he and his crew were going to do.

"Gillette, you must think that this couldn't have been a mere accident?" Groves looked again through the spyglass and back at Gillette with a pleading look.

"Groves, I can't deny you the joy of thinking we will go on a grand adventure if this were to **happen** to be pirates." He glanced over at his friend and threw his most dashing smile at him.

"I swear, Gillete. You are going to regret that!"

As soon as the Dauntless was in range, Captain Norrington ordered the long boats out to search the wreckage for survivors. Lieutenant Gillette was placed in charge of one party and Lieutenant Groves the other. Lanterns were lit to try to pierce through the thick smoke, but nothing seemed to work.

"Groves! Do you have anything?" He shouted to try to get a bearing for how many survivors they may need to assist.

"Gillette! Negative, we have found nothing as of right now, but I am sure we can-"

"I think I found something Groves!" Gillette ordered his boat to row forward a little as a crumpled figure lay draped over a piece of wreckage. As they came up alongside the figure, Phillip discovered that it was a woman. "Help me get her into the boat." The men gently lifted the woman into the boat and began rowing to search for more survivors. Phillip made his way to her and crouched down to check and see if she was breathing. She was thankfully still alive. He gently brushed away some of her hair back to see that she was quite a young woman. Gillette then carefully removed his coat and draped it over her to try to keep her warm. After arranging the coat, he looked at her face once more and realized she was looking at him! Her blue eyes were bright and intelligence shone through them. Gillette was transfixed for a quick moment, but quickly stated his name and rank.

"Miss, my name is Lieutenant Phillip Gillette of the _HMS Dauntless_. You are safe now." She breathed a sigh of relief and sank back into his jacket. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly almost losing his balance into the marine who had tapped him.

"Sir, Lieutenant Groves has called your name three times." Realizing that he must have been so focused on the young lady, he turned to the marine, gave his thanks, and then proceeded to shout back to Gillette. "Any other survivors?"

"Gillette! Glad of you to answer me! No, we haven't found any other survivors. We are heading back to the _Dauntless_. You?"

"Yes, but we will give a full report back at the _Dauntless_." The men quickly brought the long boat about and began rowing back to the ship.

"Wait!" Gillette was startled when he heard the lady, in a shaky voice, speak. He signaled his men to stop, and turned back to the young woman.

"Miss, what is the matter?" He looked at her expectantly. She was now sitting up with a very alarmed look on her face.

"Lieutenant, there was a sailor, he is very badly hurt, but he was on the same piece of wood as I was. You have to find him! He needs medical attention!" She was very adamant and getting increasingly upset over this young man. Not wishing to upset her, Gillette ordered the men to continue the search. After a few more passes in the long boat, they found the unfortunate lad lying on some wood a few feet away. After they had found him, they pulled him in the boat, and the young woman went over to him and checked his pulse. She muttered something under her breath, but Gillette didn't hear, nor did he ask her about it. Once they made it back to the ship, a few sailors helped the lady up onto the deck. Gillette helped lift the lad up to the other sailors, but remained in the boat for a few minutes. Groves had made it back by then and gave Gillette a raised eyebrow.

"Groves, you will understand once we get back onto the ship."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**: Hello readers! Here is my next chapter of _If Ever I Would Leave You. _Just for some clarification, this story takes place before the main plot of COTBP. As you continue to read, please keep in mind that I am going off of the history that James Norrington was rescued by Jack's father when he was young. This will come into play with later chapters, but I thought to tell you now just so you know for the future. A special thanks to **XOMoonlitRoseOX** and **Norrieo** for reviewing my story! And please, if you read, please review. It will motivate me to write more and get updates out as soon as possible. :)

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><p>The moment Elsie stepped on deck of the ship, the <em>Dauntless<em>, she felt all of the eyes of the crew on her. Since she only wore her scrubs, Elsie felt incredibly out of place. Sailors and officers stared as Elsie shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. A few whispered about her odd appearance and continued to stare in amazement. Even Norrington was somewhat startled by her strange garb. She was dressed in a uniform of some sort with no shoes on due to the difficulty of wearing them while swimming. Elsie looked down turning slightly red from the scrutiny and embarrassment. When she looked back up she caught the eye of the lieutenant who had found her. He nodded sympathetically, but looked away as his superior approached. A man then moved towards him, who, to Elsie, seemed to exude an air of authority. Looking her straight in the eye, Norrington spoke.

"Welcome to the _HMS Dauntless_. I am Captain James Norrington, and you are?" He wasn't at all unkind, but he seemed a little too distant for Elsie's liking. But noticing that he was in fact another naval officer, she remembered her manners and extended her hand to the Captain. Her father had always taught her how to act properly around men of high rank. To not seem rude she drew herself up to her full height of five foot seven and gave him a friendly nod after shaking his hand.

"My name is Annalise Kirk but everyone calls me Elsie. Thank you for saving me. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."

"We were only doing what we felt was necessary, Miss Kirk" She dipped her head in response and pulled the coat of that lieutenant closer around her shoulders. She was cold, but Elsie wasn't going to let that get in the way of making a good first impression. She was good at hiding her chill, but not well enough because she let out a loud sneeze_. Fantastic_

Captain Norrington's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his new passenger. "Miss Kirk, you need medical attention. Please come with me and our doctor would be happy to look after you, if you would?" He gently took her arm and began leading her away, but Norrington was surprised when she stopped and practically shook off his arm from hers.

"Wait, where is the sailor? Has he already been taken below?" Elsie asked placing, once again, her patient's needs above her own. Captain Norrington raised his eyebrows in surprise as she felt that she had made an utter fool of herself for not obeying the captain's order immediately. This man was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Norrington struggled for a moment to find a delicate way to put things for the young lady without upsetting her, but found the words to say. Collecting himself he replied, "Your concern for that sailor is commendable, but I must insist that you see the ship's doctor and then rest. I assure you that he is taken care of quite well, as will you be Miss Kirk." The firmness in his tone made Elsie flinch a little, like she was a child that was being scolded. The lieutenant who found her saw her reaction, but didn't say a thing.

"Thank you captain, but I would like to see him through. I promised. Besides I feel fine." After those words left her mouth, Elsie knew she was not fine. Her legs began to give way, and if Norrington wasn't as close to her as he was, she would have hit the deck, but he caught her as she felt the strength leave her. A few officers on the deck seemed to step forward with a sense of urgency, but they relaxed slightly when Elsie gave them a small smile. Looking up at Captain Norrington, she remarked, "I suppose I should see the doctor. Well I am no use to the lad if I can hardly stand." And then Elsie lost all grip of consciousness in the arms of the naval captain.

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><p>"Sir, do you need a hand?" Gillette innocently asked as the young lady, Miss Kirk, fainted in the arms of Captain Norrington. He stepped forward when Captain Norrington nodded to him to take the lady to his quarters. Gillette gingerly picked up Miss Kirk and carried her across the deck bridal style.<p>

"Lieutenant Groves please go alert Doctor Creswell that he has another patient in my quarters and she is in need of his attention as soon as possible." With Miss Kirk out of his arms, Norrington ordered the men to continue the search for survivors, but he warned them to take extreme caution, for from what he could deduce, this was no accident. Men shuffled to carry out his orders and an extra watch was set just in case. With men bustling around Gillette, he took caution as he carried her to the cabin. Sailors looked on and moved out of the way when Gillette passed by with her in his arms. They muttered amongst themselves, some talking about how it was bad luck to have a woman on board, and others pitying her plight.

Gillette took no notice of the men, focusing his attention on getting her to the cabin so that she could get medical attention and protect her from the prying eyes of others. Because of the way he was carrying her, her head leaned against his chest and he felt his heat beat increase a little. He looked down at her and noticed how her curls were so soft and light as if her hair had been spun from gold. Being this close to her, he couldn't help but notice her wonderful smell of flowers. It was almost intoxicating. He also observed the peculiar clothing that she wore. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. He made a mental note to find her something more suitable to wear once she was awake and well again. Gillette soon walked in with the lady and gently laid her on the bed that occupied the corner of the captain's cabin. Groves was up at the cabin with Doctor Creswell in a matter of minutes.

"Ah Lieutenant Gillette, Lieutenant Groves informed me we have acquired another passenger, Hm?" Doctor Creswell looked at Gillette over his spectacles.

"Yes Doctor. Her name is Miss Annalise Kirk. She was found by me at the wreck site of this ship that we are looking into. We think they may have been attacked, but I have a feeling she may know a little about it." Gillette looked at her as she lay there. She was still damp from being in the water and she didn't have dry, warm clothes on. "Doctor, what are we to do about her, ahem, not having dry clothes on?" Gillette looked at Groves and swallowed hard. Propriety dictated that a woman should help her change, but on a navy ship, there were only men.

"Well, gentlemen, since I am a doctor, I should aid the lady in changing. If you would excuse us. And do not worry; I will call you in once my examination is complete." The lieutenants didn't have to be asked twice to leave the room to preserve her modesty. The doctor quickly changed her from her wet clothes into a nightshirt that was large enough to be a gown on her. After she was situated in the bed, Doctor Creswell began his examination. He quickly felt her forehead and realized that she had a fever and on occasion, she would cough or struggle for a breath. All of his observations were documented in a ledger to monitor her progress. As he scribbled more notes and double checked her vitals, the more his eyebrows furrowed with frustration.

"Young lady, you are still a mystery to us." Doctor Creswell muttered to himself as he continued reading the ledger. Satisfied with the amount of data collected, he rose to find the concerned crew members. It didn't take him long to find Gillette and Groves, for they remained outside the cabin the entire time looking as if they were going through some terrible ordeal. Upon seeing the doctor, Gillette motioned to Groves to follow as they entered the cabin again. Both were concerned, but Groves was the one who formulated the sentence that asked the doctor what both he and his comrade thought.

"Doctor Creswell, how is she?"

"I believe that she is in fact running a fever, of that I can be certain. I would like for you, Lieutenant Groves, to alert the captain that I wish to speak with him about this poor girl's condition at his best convenience." Gillette was about to open his mouth to protest his lack of information, but Doctor Creswell beat him to it. "Lieutenant, I refrained from telling her entire condition to you and Lieutenant Groves, because I wish for Captain Norrington to hear it as well. It saves time and energy. Don't worry; you will learn what I have to say once the captain returns."

After Doctor Creswell sent Groves off to find the captain, he remained to stay with the lady as a concerned Gillette paced the floor of the cabin. Moments later, Captain Norrington entered the room to check on his passenger. Lieutenant Gillette quickly stopped his pacing and turned his attention to the Doctor and Norrington eager to hear her prognosis.

"Ah, Captain. Well, there is more to this young lady than meets the eye, if I may say so. She has been through a lot, more so than I think we both know. She is running a fever and I am fairly sure she is suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. But I am sure she will come out of it. Although, after that thought, I do not wish to leave her alone, by any means. She is to have a person at her bedside at all times to attend to her. I will let you set up the watch, so to speak, as you see fit, James." Norrington remained looking at Miss Kirk as he nodded his understanding.

"Thank you Doctor. Do you think that it will take her long to regain consciousness?" His attention now turned to his friend as he hoped in his mind that the poor young lady would wake.

"It is hard to say when she will wake. From where Lieutenant Gillette found her, I would assume she has undergone a substantial amount of trauma. Also, her fever has remained quite constant and shows no sign of breaking. It could be hours, or even days, James." Doctor Creswell patted Norrington on the shoulder and walked out to gather the supplies needed to tend to her. Once he was gone, Gillette spoke.

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Norrington looked up in surprise as his friend took such a formal way gain his permission to speak his mind.

"Phillip, you always have my permission, old friend. What seems to be on your mind?" Gillette looked at his superior and friend and took a seat in one of the chairs that occupied the cabin. He bade Norrington to join him. With one last glance at the girl, Norrignton also sat and looked at his friend expectantly.

"Miss Kirk, she is… how do you say, different. She is different than other girls that I have met."

"Yes, I would have to say there are very few women who would have handled themselves in that manner."

Gillette had to let out a soft chuckle. Miss Kirk possessed a fair amount of spirit and free will that he had not seen in a lady in a very long time. In a way, she reminded him of Miss Elizabeth Swann when he had briefly met her. She was full of tenacity and spunk, and it intrigued him. Thinking back to the situation that had undoubtedly presented itself to their crew, Gillette once again regarded his friend.

"James, where do you think she is from? And do you think she will remember anything about the attack? She must have seen… something!"

"I do not know. She will likely tell us when she awakens from this fever. We can only wait."

"But will she remember? James?" Gillette urgently leaned forward in his chair as his friend's attention drifted. Norrington looked at her sleeping form. She was quite pale and had sweat forming on her brow. Small, troubled moans escaped her lips and she tossed a little in her fevered sleep. He could tell that this was going to be a long night. "Phillip, I hope so. For her sake and ours."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: Hello faithful and new readers! I am very pleased with the amount of hits that I have on this story... but I have only a few reviews. Please make my day and send little 'ole me a review! Thanks to those who put this story up on their story alerts and or favorites :) I have had such a fun time with this story and I even have had a great idea for a sequel (thanks Norrieo). So please, enjoy! A special thanks to my dear friend Svetlana for giving me great ideas and helpful thoughts. Also, thanks Norrieo for your great friendship and thoughts! If you readers like my story, check out her's on her profile. They are really great! So read on!

~Elanor

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><p>Captain Norrington set up a tentative schedule that assigned his most trusted officers to look after Miss Kirk for a few hours at a time. For the first day, he had had Doctor Creswell stay with her, but Norrington knew that he would have to let the doctor look after his other patient. The next day, he assigned Lieutenant Gillette to take first watch. Much of his time was spent pacing the room, thinking. This woman whom he had met just yesterday had affected him in a way that he was very unsure of. It would take a lot to discover what these inclinations were, but it would have to be another time to ponder them. His charge was all that he needed to focus on. After a few hours, he had other duties to attend to and Lieutenant Groves took over from there. Groves, being a very compassionate man, felt for the girl as he watched and carefully tended to her. Under Doctor Creswell's direction, he recorded in the ledger any changes to her condition and monitored her intake of water. When Groves thought that she needed to consume more, he would carefully place the cup to her lips and nurse some water or broth into her. It had only been about a day, but she looked so frail. Her troubled sleep concerned him as he sat and read a book to himself. Reading helped get his mind off of the predicament for a few minutes, but his attention drifted from the book making it difficult to concentrate. Finally giving up his attempt at reading, he set the book down and stared at her. A tune came to mind and he hummed a bit, not knowing if she enjoyed music, but he thought that even a cheerful tune could break her out of this reverie.<p>

After Groves' watch, Norrington himself sat for a while at her bedside. He couldn't help but notice her forehead burning with fever. After rummaging about his cabin, he located a basin filled with water and a soft towel to wet and place on her for some relief. He continued to care for her until, to his relief, her fever broke. Breathing a sigh of relief, Norrington sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. It had been a very long, trying day for him. Yesterday and the entire day today was focused on finding survivors, but there was only the sailor, who had yet to wake, and Miss Kirk, who was also unconscious. The wreck contained no clues and the only eye witnesses were his two new passengers. Without a heading, the perpetrators would most likely make better time, and all chance of finding them would be little to none. Norrington opened his eyes again and rubbed them. _What time is it?_ He found himself walking over to his clock to see that it was almost 11. Indeed, it was a long day.

Looking back up over at Miss Kirk, he saw something that made him blink. He thought he saw her eyelids flutter! Quickly making his way over to the bed, he sat in the chair that was put beside her.

"Miss Kirk? Can you hear me?" Norrington searched for some sign that she was awake. And then he saw her eyelids flutter again and then she opened her eyes. He instantly smiled and reached to give her some water. She eyed him curiously and refrained from taking the glass. Cautiously she ventured to speak.

"Sir, I am not sure what is going on. I thought that this was a strange dream that I found myself in. I half expected to wake up to the sound of my professor scolding me. Yet, you are real, and I am real, and this whole, situation, is not a dream, correct?" Elsie's brow furrowed trying to think about what had happened last.

"Miss Kirk, I assure you, this is all quite real."

"Then what is the date?" Her eyes searched his as she voiced her obvious concern.

"It is the 25th of January, the year is 1738." Norrington watched as Elsie paled considerably.

"This is rather… odd… Captain Norrington. I am not sure what trick this is. I am from another time, another place. I am so confused!" Elsie cried in exasperation. But she carefully, with his help, sat up and accepted the glass. After taking a few sips and coughing a bit, her eyes drifted closed trying to make sense of the situation. From her coughing, he grew concerned, but Elsie just waved him off as if it was nothing. Norrington had to smile inwardly. _Yes_, he thought to himself, _she is a different one_. "Miss Kirk, I am glad to see that you are feeling better, but you must rest and recover your strength. Doctor Creswell will be pleased with the progress that you have made."

"Yes, I am sure that I have improved. But may I ask, what happened? I scarcely remember a thing, and I don't recall ever being here. Last I remember I was on the deck when…" Elsie struggled to remember what had happened realizing that everything that had occurred was not just a dream, but real.

"You fainted. Doctor Creswell says from dehydration and exhaustion." Norrington offered to try to help spark her memory. After giving his bit of information, he thought of asking about what had happened before the rescue, but thought better of it. She did just wake and needed to not get overly excited. "Miss Kirk, do you think you will be alright for a few minutes while I go and find Doctor Creswell." He was ready for her to say that she wanted him to stay with her, but she again surprised him and said that she would be alright. "Very well. I shall return momentarily, Miss Kirk."

Elsie watched him go as he departed to look for the doctor. _Perhaps I have judged this man too quickly_. Since her fever had broken, this was the first time that she could observe the cabin that she was confined to. It was large with a bookcase in the corner. A large desk occupied the room which held a slew of maps and other navigational charts. Despite Captain Norrington's neat and tidy manor, his desk did not reflect that aspect of his personality. Papers littered the desk and a great chart hung on the wall with markings of pirate sightings. Elsie was bold enough to venture out of bed, but on shaky legs. Being confined to a bed from illness had taken its toll. As soon as she rose, she looked down at her clothing. The great nightshirt had to have belonged to one of the crew members. _Perhaps when the Doctor deems me better, I will be able to find something else to wear. _

"Ah, Miss Kirk," Elsie gasped as the door opened and a man with glasses and Captain Norrington entered. The man with the glasses continued to speak as he looked at Norrington with raised eyebrows. "My dear, I am Doctor Creswell. Captain Norrington said that you were feeling much better, but he didn't inform me that you had ventured out of bed. Miss, please come here so that I can have a look." Doctor Creswell gave Norrington one last look as he beckoned for Elsie to follow.

"Doctor, I assure you that I had no knowledge of her leaving her bed. I should have alerted someone to watch her while I was gone." Norrington replied apologetically.

"Doctor Creswell, it is not the captain's fault. I ventured on my own terms and I should have taken closer care of myself." Elsie looked at Norrington as she said those words as if she was telling him that it wasn't his fault. Norrington returned her gaze and nodded always being polite. Elsie smiled a little, but turning her attention to the doctor, she soon brought herself out of her current thought.

"Well Miss Kirk, your fever has broken and you seem to have restored your need for fluids. I am very pleased with how you are doing. It was a great thing that we rescued you when we did, for if it had been a few more hours, you may not be here right now." Smiling down at her he added, "Lieutenants Gillette and Groves will be very pleased to know that you are up and about."

A strange chord rang through Elsie's mind. Unable to place the name she asked, "Doctor Creswell, who are these men you speak of? I don't recall an introduction."

"Why, Lieutenant Gillette is the one who rescued you. He has been very concerned about your safety. Lieutenant Groves is another officer who, now, I am not sure as to how he came to be involved. Captain?" Norrington looked up from charts at the sound of his name being called.

"Lieutenant Groves was the officer who fetched the doctor after the sailor that you rescued came aboard." At the mention of the sailor, Elsie's eyes shot up. How could she forget?

"The sailor, how is he?" Her eyes searched that of the good doctor's and the captain.

"He is… stable. He has yet to gain consciousness, but the wounds that he sustained are mending."

"Yes, the deep lacerations that he had on his back." Elsie spoke softly as she recalled the man. Flashes of the ordeal went through her mind. She saw herself floating in the ocean for days. Then it flashed forward to the time when she saw the merchant ship. Her heart pace quickened and then she saw it; the flag, the ship, the smoke. It terrified her as she saw it in her mind. It was someone else also; the sailor in pain. Elsie was paralyzed with terror. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes tight to try to rid herself of the memory. Silent tears streamed down her face.

"Miss Kirk! Please, are you alright?" Doctor Creswell and Captain Norrington rushed to her side. Doctor Creswell placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her to him. Elsie clung to him as she trembled with fear. After witnessing her putting on a brave façade, now Norrington realized that she was just a scared girl that had endured too much. Feeling rather uncomfortable and not wishing to intrude, Norrington took his leave.

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><p>Norrington walked out onto the deck. The moon was full and the men on watch greeted him and continued with their duties. How easy it was to stare out at the stars and try to make sense of the world. Norrington stood by the rail and thought about what had just happened with Miss Kirk. A traumatic event had occurred and it was affecting her. As he thought about it more, the more he felt sympathy for her. As he was pondering all of this, the thump of boots on the deck alerted him that he was not alone. Norrington stayed looking straight ahead, thinking that it was another officer passing by, but he soon found his friend, Lieutenant Gillette standing at the rail with him.<p>

"Captain Norrington, I was sure that you were in your quarters with Miss Kirk." Norrington looked down at the sea and took a deep breath.

"No, Miss Kirk has regained consciousness, but I took my leave once she recalled an event that has left her traumatized."

Gillette felt himself tense. "Was it the attack? And how exactly did she react, Sir?"

"I believe it is from the event of the attack. I don't know if she was on the ship when it happened or what had occurred, but she was very… disturbed. She was stock still and very quiet. I didn't know anything was happening until Doctor Creswell called out to her. She was quite shaken and very pale." Not wishing to say too much, Norrington refrained from telling him how she clung to Doctor Creswell like a small, frightened child.

"So it seems that if we mention anything about the attack, it could spur another episode. We need that information and the other sailor is in no condition to be questioned. What are we to do?"

Norrington thought long and hard. It was going to be difficult to complete their mission if they couldn't track them, but it would be worse for them if they kept Miss Kirk reliving the event that had caused her so much pain. "Gillette, I think that we must let her come to grips with what has happened. If she opens up to us, then we will take her word and act upon it. But for now, we must hope that the young sailor awakes."

"Indeed. Well, I think that it is soon my time to stay with Miss Kirk. Captain." Gillette walked away from the rail leaving Norrington to stand there and look at the sea. Briefly looking at his captain, he made his way to the cabin to assist the doctor with anything that he may need.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: Right here is a little button that helps me a lot. Press it, review, and I will try to update as soon as I get a few more... no flames please!

E


	5. Chapter 5

**AN**: Hello readers! I know it has been a bit since I last updated…. But trust me… I have been very busy. Here is the next chapter as an early birthday present to me! Yes I have a birthday this Thursday, but I have decided to post a little early. (Consider yourselves lucky!) Special thanks to all who read and reviewed my story…. And please, if ya read, please review as a birthday present to me? Maybe? Anywho, thanks so much for the support and I will update soon!

~Elanor

"I'm sorry Doctor Creswell. I should not have acted so, irrationally. You must think me a blubbering idiot." Elsie covered her face with her hands in shame. After sobbing into the Doctor's coat, she had calmed herself down enough to only have a few muffled sobs in her chest.

"Oh no my dear, you are fine. It was an event of the past; you must remember that. If it is something you wish to talk about, know that I am always here." Doctor Creswell gently smiled and gave her a clean handkerchief to dab at her eyes when Lieutenant Gillette walked in the room. Elsie grew pink with embarrassment as she saw the lieutenant's eyes get wide after seeing her in tears. He was about to turn on his heel and leave when Doctor Creswell stopped him with a greeting.

"Lieutenant Gillette! So nice of you to stop in. Miss Kirk here was asking after you and I explained that you where the one who rescued her and so on. Would you mind sitting with her while I fetch us some tea?" Doctor Creswell looked at the young officer, who had also turned slightly red from being called out.

"Not at all, Doctor," he managed to reply. When the doctor left, Gillette stood for a moment unable to think of what to do. Here was this young lady who had recently been through so much and was obviously under an immense amount of stress. _A very pretty lady, on the ship. _Gillette chastised himself for letting himself start getting distracted by her looks. After all, fresh tears threatened to spill from her eyes as he looked at her, but she kept herself composed. Unable to find words to say of comfort or humor, he sat in the chair next to her bed. There was silence between them for a few minutes, but he was thankful when she ventured to speak first.

"Lieutenant, I don't know if I gave you my thanks for saving me earlier. It means a lot to me that you did rescue me." Elsie looked down at the handkerchief in her hand as she spoke in a small voice thick with emotion. Gillette's heart melted as she looked up through her thick eyelashes meekly.

"It was my job, miss. I am glad that you are faring better. You gave us quite a scare." He managed to choke out those few words_. Imbecile, she probably thinks you are a bloody bumbling imbecile who can't string two words together_.

"Yes, it just seems so, ridiculous." Elsie ventured to say as she wrung the handkerchief in her hands. Gillette felt sorry for her as he waited for her to continue. "I am not... I am not from this time, as you can tell. One moment I am in my classroom and the next I am here, in the middle of the ocean. As I replay that moment over in my head, I feel that if I tell anyone, they will all think me quite crazy!" Any hope that Elsie had about containing her tears was gone as a new wave streamed down her cheeks. "And the worst part is I have no way of knowing how I got here and how I can get back."

"I cannot deny my curiosity of how you came to be, well here. And this seems to be a very grave situation if you say you are from another time. " Gillette chose his words carefully as his curiosity burned. He needed to know who this mysterious Annalise Kirk was and what her story was. "Although I am rather… skeptical, I do not think you are liar. So if you are not lying, then you must be telling the truth. If it is any consolation, I believe you." Gillette gently placed his hand on hers for a brief moment, but pulled away remembering propriety.

"You, you do?" Elsie looked up at him with disbelief. He nodded gravely and sat back in his chair. He looked to the door, but heard a light sound. It was like chimes and had a very sweet and pleasant sound. He turned back to Elsie and saw that, through her tears, she was laughing.

"Miss Kirk?"

"You just looked like how my father did when he was telling me that we were moving back to America." Elsie wiped the last of her tears and smiled at the memory. "My father was a commander in the United States Navy. He was stationed in Devonport to be a liaison to the Royal Navy. I was born there and had lived there my entire life, until he said that he was being stationed as the commanding officer at Norfolk and he would receive a promotion to admiral upon his return. You reminded me of the way that he tried to comfort me, I suppose." Gillette looked surprised.

"So your father, he was a commanding navy man. And you were born in England?" Disbelief and shock still came through his voice, but Elsie just smiled.

"Yes, he ran our family like one does a ship. But I never would have traded him as a father for anyone else in the world. Navy life is hard, but it has brought me to where I am today, well, where I was." Elsie gazed out the window that occupied the wall and sighed.

"I must admit this is a lot to take in. I can understand why you are very… disorientated." He ran his hand over his jaw as he looked out the window looking at the sea.

"Yes it is. Lieutenant Gillette, thank you."

"For what, Miss Kirk?" Gillette looked to find her bright eyes looking into his.

"For believing me."

For a moment they sat like this, no one speaking, only the sound of the gentle creak of the deck beneath them. They waited patiently for the Doctor to return with their tea, but their conversation dropped off throwing them into silence.

"Miss Kirk, your tea and Lieutenant Gillette." Doctor Creswell handed the pair their tea and sat back and poured himself a cup. Upon returning to the cabin, he had noticed the silence that had ensued, so he felt that it was his priority to make conversation as easy as possible. Taking a sip of his tea he began making small talk. They chatted for a while talking about Doctor Creswell's past and his adventures in the navy. Elsie sat listening attentively to the charismatic doctor as he launched into his fourth story about his run in with a lord who had a most terrible lisp. Elsie didn't mind the conversation, but she stifled back a yawn as he continued the story. Gillette, noticing her exhaustion, smiled and stood.

"Doctor Creswell, I am sure that we can continue this later. Miss Kirk should get some rest."

"Of course. Miss Kirk, if you need anything, I am only a call away. Fell fee to ask anyone, they would be happy to help." Doctor Creswell smiled and patted Elsie's hand and grabbed the tray of tea. Gillette dipped his head as he left the room to give Elsie some time to herself to rest.

_ Elsie Kirk was walking around the base at Devonport spitting mad that her younger brother Thomas was nowhere to be found. In order for her parents to let him go to Navy Days, a bi-annual event on base open to the public, she needed to watch him and make sure that he behaved. But today, Thomas was being a devil and Elsie had lost her brother. _

"_Where the blazes are you?" Elsie walked around searching every ship, sub, and hanger. She was even prepared to place a BOLO out on him and assume the consequences for losing her brother. Finally she sat down on a bench as a young midshipman came up to her. Seeing her looking quite distressed, he stopped in front of her._

"_Miss is there anything I can help you with?" Looking up, she pulled out her military ID badge and gave it to him. _

"_Could you assist me in locating my beastly brother?" His eyes grew wide as he looked at the name on the badge. This was the daughter of a commander. _

"_Of course, Miss Kirk." _

"_Thank you, Midshipmen?"_

"_Yates, miss."_

"_Midshipman Yates. Oh and please keep it on the dl." He walked way looking for her brother and left Elsie sitting on the bench. After sitting for what felt like an eternity, Elsie decided to venture out on her own only to run smack into this tall guy that couldn't have been much more than a few years older than her. Elsie practically fell over as he barged into her._

"_Hey, watch where you are going!" He spat at her._

"_Wait, are you suggesting that this is my fault? I recall, sir, that you ran into me!" Elsie stood indignantly with her arms folded across her chest. He smiled as he saw her so perturbed._

"_You have a name, missy?" He said holding his hand out._

"_Of course I do! And it is NOT missy. It's Elise."_

"_Mines Ste…" He didn't even get his full name out when the Midshipman came with her little brother in tow._

"_Thomas! You about got me into trouble! Where were you?" Elsie glared at him as he looked at his shoes. See that she would get no response out of him, she turned to Midshipman Yates._

"_I found him on the bridge of the _HMS Defiant_. But you should not be so hard on him, he has learned his lesson." Yates eyed Thomas as he turned bright pink from embarrassment. _

"_Right, come along… mum is going to have your head." She turned sharply and nodded to Yates and to the boy that had practically shoved into her. Once she was a short distance away, he softly spoke._

"_Goodbye Elsie."_

_When Elsie returned home, she ran straight to her mum about to tell her what had happened, when her mum handed her a letter from Canton Academy; the school she wished to attend for the next few years. In this letter was her acceptance or their condolences on being passed up. Anticipation coursed through her as she opened the letter. Quickly scanning the letter she found the part that she wanted to find most. Her heart dropped as she read that line._

"_Congratulations on being accepted into Canton Academy." When she read that line, she practically lost it. _

"_Elsie dear, what is the matter?" Her mum walked over and read the letter and beamed as she looked down at Elsie. Quickly she embraced her daughter as tears flowed down her cheeks._

"_Where is father?" Elsie asked._

"_In his study."_

_Sprinting down the hall, Elsie ran through the door to her father's study expecting to see her father toiling over some work, alone. Being a commander in the navy, he always had some requisition to file or a report to fill out to be sent back to the states. But Elsie was surprised when he was sitting there with another naval officer. He was sitting across from her father, but he wasn't in the United States Navy. He was a Royal Navy officer. Elsie's eyes grew wide as her father raised an eyebrow at her sudden entrance. _

_ "Elsie, how many times have I told you to knock before you enter my office especially since I am in the middle of a very important meeting with Lieutenant Commander Westmore." Commander Kirk rubbed his brow leaning forward as he waited for her to explain herself._

_ "I'm sorry father. Mum said you were in your study and I wanted to tell you something very important!" Elsie looked down with her hands behind her back, feet spread apart. The man who was sitting in the room had turned around at this point and stifled a chuckle._

_ "Richard, I knew that you ran a tight ship, 'ole boy. But I never thought that your daughter would have the discipline of even the best midshipman. She is fine, no harm was done." His brown eyes met hers as she meekly looked up. She snapped herself to attention as she swallowed under his gaze. "Now tell me, Miss Kirk, what was it that you wanted to tell your father. I am sure he won't mind if I ask." He winked at her and she giggled before launching into her news._

_ "Well Lieutenant Commander Westmore, I have been selected to go to Canton Academy to study bio-medical studies. Only a few students have been selected and it is an immense honor to be considered, let alone enrolled!" She beamed with pride as she looked from her father to the Lt. Commander. _

_ "Elsie, that is wonderful! I am so proud of you! I am sure that we will discuss this more when we sit down for dinner. Oh, Harry, would you care to join us? Melinda is making her famous beef stew. Bring the family?" Commander Kirk smiled as he eyed his daughter proudly before turning to his friend._

_ "Of course. We would be delighted." _

_ "Elsie, you are dismissed." Her father smiled as she snapped to attention again and left with a firm yes sir._

_ After she left the room, Harry turned back in his chair to face his friend. "Richard, you daughter is quite the young lady. Canton Academy? And at her young age. She is quite bright, if I do say so myself. You should be proud."_

_ "Of course I am proud. She is growing up too fast though." He looked out the window to see Elsie running with their golden retriever Max. "Stephen is doing well then?" _

_ "Oh yes, he is about to start his second year at Canton. He is going to go to the Naval Academy after he completes his last term there. You know, he is on holiday. I should bring him to meet Elsie. They would get along I am sure."_

_ "Of course, I am sure she would love to meet him." Commander Kirk smiled and turned his attention back to the work that needed to get done._

AN: BOLO means Be On the Look Out :) I love my crime shows… NCIS taught me that one. Review!


	6. Chapter 6

**AN**: So…. Hello all you out there in fan fiction world! I have to apologize to all of you for keeping you waiting. It has been far too long. I am not going to go into any long excuses for why I couldn't update… (ahhem anatomy, physiology, English, choir, robotics and other duties that I must perform) ^_^ So I am going to try to update a little more often. This is fairly short chappie and I am sorry if I am rather cruel with how long and slow this is moving. Please review and tell me what I am doing right and wrong (but please be kind). Thanks!

~Elanor

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><p>Gillette paced around the room completely baffled about all of what had just happened. Since Elsie was here, Norrington gave up his cabin to her, and subsequently, he gave up his cabin to bunk with Groves. So being alone is his shared cabin, Gillette was able to pace and think about how there was a girl, woman, from another time and place that had found a place on their vessel. He had just about worn a hole in the floor when Groves walked in from completing his watch. Sensing Gillette's distress, Groves pulled off his wig and sat down in a chair that occupied the room.<p>

"So you want to tell me what you all bothered about?" Groves ventured to ask as he untied his cravat and leaned back in his chair.

"Groves, you have no idea what this means! She is from the future. That is preposterous! I have no words for this!" Gillette unceremoniously cast his own wig aside and collapsed onto his bed. Running his hand through his cropped hair, he sighed aloud thinking and trying to make sense of the situation.

"Philip, hold a moment. Yes, it is a bit… odd… but you must realize, she is here and although this event is quite puzzling, Miss Kirk got here somehow. Perhaps after we catch the pirates, we can try to find a way to get her back."

"Yes, but she is so… so…"

"Different?" Groves offered.

"Precisely! What happens if we can't get her back? How will she ever adjust to this life?ow wHow" Gillette leaned forward with his head in his hands.

"Then we will have to help her in whatever way we can." Groves calmly gave the idea. Being a steady man, he rose and walked across the cabin to his friend. "The best we can do is not worry about the things that are out of our control. What we do have is the opportunity to help her and by God, I am sure we will sail all across the Caribbean trying to find a way to get her back." He sat back down and watched his friend for a moment. Seeing his words sink in, he grinned and began unbuttoning his coat.

"Groves, you are a voice of reason." Gillette chuckled and grabbed his hat and wig. After adjusting it in his looking glass, he turned to leave.

"Wait! Where are you off to?" Groves eyed him curiously. "I just got back and we are off duty!"

"We can't have Miss Kirk wear naught but her old clothes. I am off to find something that won't draw attention to her… situation. Care to assist in aiding the lady in anything within our power?" Gillette joked haughtily.

"Blast! And I just removed my wig…" Groves moaned as he grabbed the rest of his uniform and wig.

"I am sure you will survive one night not confined to your cabin. And just remember, we are doing this for Miss Kirk. It is our duty." He stressed the word duty just to annoy his friend. One last glance at Groves rolling his eyes, Gillette laughed and walked out to search for some clothes with an unhappy Groves in tow.

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><p>"Do you have any idea how big Miss Kirk is?" Groves shifted as they walked through the ship to the midshipman's quarters. Since there was a lack of feminine clothes on board, the only option was to give her a uniform.<p>

"She is not the biggest thing in the world, true. But she is about the size of Midshipman Kent. Perhaps a bit smaller, don't you think." He looked back at Groves with a smile.

"Well I am not the best judge of her size. You were the one who carried her closely… in your arms." Gillette's head whipped back around defensively at Groves' comments.

"Are you saying that I was acting inappropriately in that situation?" He stopped walking and glared at Groves causing him to stop short.

"No, Philip, I was not. But I must ask. Why are you suddenly defensive? It was just a… oh no." Groves rolled his eyes and walked past his friend.

"Blast, what is this about Theo?" He walked and grabbed his shoulder skidding him to a halt. Turning to face his friend, Groves leaned on the bulkhead and looked to make sure no sailors where around to hear.

"Philip, have you taken a fancy to Miss Kirk?" Groves' eyes widened as he saw Gillette turn a deep crimson shade. "By Jove, you _have_ taken a fancy to Miss Kirk!"

"Let us just gather the clothes." Gillette muttered under his breath. Now it was his turn to brush past Groves to get to their destination. He picked up his pace as he heard Groves follow behind.

"And you hardly even know her!" His voice could be heard through the small space and a few sailors looked in their general vicinity. Gillette about exploded when he stopped in front of their destination.

"Yes, Groves, I hardly even know her. I have not taken a fancy to her, I just… pity her. So if you have any further inclinations about any romance with Miss Kirk, please refrain from speaking of it in public and to me." He hissed as he opened the door.

"Right, I believe you have no feelings for Miss Kirk." He said so sarcastically after Gillette was well out of ear shot. Shaking his head, he entered into the cabin to assist in finding Midshipman Kent.

Gillette had already located the young man and had proceeded to speak with him when Groves walked up. In the midshipman's hands were a pair of white trousers, a white shirt, stockings, an extra jacket, and a pair of shoes that buckled on the top.

"Sir, do you think she will be alright with wearing a men's uniform?" Kent sheepishly asked after handing the uniform to his superior. Obviously, he had not heard that she was from the future and had arrived in a uniform that resembled that of what a man would wear. Not feeling it important to inform the lad, Gillette just answered with a "she will be fine" and went on his merry way. Groves looked at the lad sympathetically, but followed his friend out.

"Philip, please. I meant no offense. I just was perturbed by the fact that she has affected you in such a way. This is unlike you."

"Theo," he sighed, "I am not sure of anything anymore."

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: so yeah... sorry about the length... review and motivate me! (please?)

E


	7. Chapter 7

Alright friends! I am back after a two year long hiatus. Honestly, I feel like I could rival the Sherlock fandom with the length of my breaks that I take. I am sorry to those who read this and thought they would be getting faster updates. Honestly, I felt that way when I entered the Sherlock fandom. Oh well! Now that I have found my joy again with writing (pre med sucked the life out of me now I am changing my major and joy shall be restored!) I hope to work on this more. So without further adieu, I give you *drum roll* a flashback! Italics mean flashback and regular text means current time. Just in case you are confused why this entire chapter is in italics. But yes! Review! Enjoy! Have a cookie! And above all else, drink a cup of tea.

~E

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><p><em>Elsie stood in front of her closet absentmindedly flipping through her clothes trying to find something suitable to wear. Her mother had informed her that it was going to be a nice dinner, so her usual jeans and sweater with a button down shirt would not due. No, her mother requested a pretty dress this evening. Elise liked dresses, but she didn't understand why she would have to dress so formally for one dinner with another military family. Obviously, she was out of the loop on some piece of information. Turning her attention to her closest again, she found a pretty blue frock that her mother had bought in London. As she slid it over her head, she sighed with pleasure. The fabric was soft and light making her feel very elegant. Her mother was the best at picking out the perfect colors for her. The blue in the dress complimented her light blonde, curly hair and made her freckles more pronounced while at the same time making her greyblue eyes sparkle. She tied the sash in an elegant bow and slipped on a pair of kitten heels. After adjusting her makeup in the mirror, she walked out of her room to the parlor to greet the guests. _

_ Before walking in, she heard the voices of her parents and the Westmore's. Smiling to herself, she walked through the door but her smile quickly disappeared when her eyes went to the Westmore's son. It was the boy that ran into her at the base! Elsie stood in the doorway unable to move debating on whether or not to tell her mum and father that she was ill, but that plan was foiled when her annoying brother, Thomas, waved at her and nudged the boy perched next to him on the window sill. Rolling her eyes, she plastered a smile on her face and walked over to her father to give him a kiss on the cheek. _

_ "Elsie dear, I would like to introduce you to the Westmore's. You have already met Lieutenant Commander Westomore," She nodded towards him and smiled. "And this is his wife, Ellen and their son Stephen. Stephen is currently attending Canton Academy. Isn't that great, Elsie?"_

_ Elsie stood there unable to comprehend what was just said. _Canton? Seriously? _She quietly murmered her hellos to Mrs. Westmore and Stephen. His eyes locked hers when she shook his hand. He held it for a brief moment and winked at her causing her to scowl and snatch her hand away. _

_ "Pleasure to meet you, Elsie." He smirked to himself as he walked back over to the window to perch on the sill. Panic fell over Elsie as her brain worked a thousand times a second to try to come up with a plan. The only thing that came to mind was the dinner. _This will have to do.

_ "Mum, if it's alright with you, I will go and see if anything needs to be done in the kitchen?" She may have said that too eagerly because a very confused mother nodded her head and followed Elsie into the kitchen. _

_ "Elsie, dear whatever is the matter?" she inquired, pulling the rolls out of the oven and arranging them on a platter. _

_ "Mum, it's nothing!" Elsie sighed, obviously distressed, running her hands through her hair. She remembered back to earlier that day when she ran into Stephen, frustrated at his ignorance and his blatant rudeness towards her. She turned her back on her mother and did something with the stew that they would be serving. _

_ "Dear-"_

_ "I don't want to talk about it. It's fine. I'll just finish up and serve our guests." She knew she was being a bit pushy, but this was a weird situation. Her mother left and didn't ask about it anymore. After a few minutes of stirring the stew and messing about the kitchen, she had this feeling that someone came back in the room._

_ "Mum, I know you want to ask me about it but-" She turned around expecting her mother, but instead the boy stood in front of her._

_ "Surprised to see me?" He commented with a hint of cockiness. This gained a raised eyebrow from Elsie._

_ "To be frank, yes I am surprised to see you. You didn't allude to the fact that you were the son of a commander in the navy." It was his turn to raise his eyebrow at her._

_ "I might say the same about you, daughter of an American naval officer. Now how about that. We are both navy brats attending and about to attend Canton. And allude? Really? How old are you anyways? 70?" He laughed a bit as she colored at his verbal sting. Puffing out her chest, she glowered at him as fiercely as she could._

_ "For your information, I am 15." Amused by her answer, Stephen leaned back on the counter a bit and held up his hands jokingly before moving into a comfortable stance with his arms folded across his chest._

_ "Oh man, someone get this girl a cane. Seriously? 15? No wonder you got into Canton. You are a walking book." _

_ "A walking book? And might I ask how old you are, Mr. Westmore? You can't be more than, what, 21? And I can hardly imagine what the admissions committee thought as they read your admissions paper." She snickered as it was his turn to change colors. "See, I am not so dumb as to think that you are all grown up and able to judge my vocabulary since many who I talk with can't hardly understand what I say to them." She advanced towards him, curious, but no less fierce than she was a moment ago._

_ "Fine, ya got me. I'm 16." Elsie blinked a bit in surprise. "Oh don't look so surprised. I got into Canton when I was your age. Last year, as a matter of fact. Brilliant person I must be and all that jazz. They let me in because I was, quote "A very promising young lad with ambitions to become a capital naval officer" unquote. How's that for an impression?" Stephen jokingly readjusted his jacket to affirm his feelings of superiority. She almost thought he was serious, until he cracked a bit of a smile revealing his pearly white teeth again._

_ After a few moments of silence and contemplation, Elsie thought that this person wouldn't be so bad. She did something that surprised her guest: she extended her hand. "Alright, truce."_

_ "Fine, truce." He took her hand and shook it, a definite feeling of finality as they let go. _This will be a fine friendship _she thought to herself. All he thought about was her eyes and how he wanted to get to know this girl he happened to run into on an ordinary day on the pier. _


	8. Chapter 8

Alright ladies and gentlemen, I am back. Truth be told, the ending to my day today was less than pleasant, in fact it was just plain depressing. Anyways, enough with my terrible day... I give you a new chapter! I hope you all enjoy it. If you do, leave me a review! Help make my day better! Please?

Okay I will stop with the shameless begging ;) So here we go! Enjoy!

(How many exclamation marks can I use in an AN? Too many guys... too many)

~Elanor

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><p>Elsie sat patiently as she stretched in her chair. It had been two days since she had awoken from her fever and she was going a bit stir crazy. Doctor Cresswell had told her to remain in bed as she recovered, but now she felt more like herself than she had in a long time. Rising from her perch, she made her way to the washbasin that sat by her bed left for her use. Rolling up her sleeves, she splashed water on her face and rubbed her eyes. At moments she felt tired and thin, memories of the past and of the attack surfacing with every sway of the ship. But then she remembered that she had a duty to the young man whom she had saved. <em>Why do I feel this sense of duty?<em> Elsie only knew he was a sailor who had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe it was her identity that she clung to in a world so unlike her own. All she knew was that she had her abilities, and it was time to use them again to help Doctor Cresswell. Moving towards the door, she stopped as she realized something: her clothes. A quick glance down at her current appearance had stopped her from opening the door to the main deck.

"Fantastic. I'm still in my nightclothes," Elsie muttered to herself. It wasn't until after that revelation did she remembered that Doctor Cresswell had mentioned someone gathering clothes for her.

In the meantime, she needed to find something to do. She had already tried sitting patiently waiting for someone, anyone, to return to her room and that had lasted for a few minutes before boredom set in. Patience was never Elsie's strongest suit nor was it sitting quietly by herself for long periods of time. First, she made the bed and fluffed the pillows. "Well that took exactly 4 minutes of my time." She rolled her eyes and found a way to straighten the small table and two chairs that accompanied that other corner of the room. She didn't dare touch Captain Norrington's desk, lest she move something important. No, that beast would remain untamed for all she cared.

She decided to then meander around the room to take a closer look at the intricate charts and maps that adorned the walls. The captain had taken great care in hanging each around the room. Most had marks or flags denoting ports of call or areas of historic significance to the Royal Navy. Elsie smiled to herself as she wondered what her father would think of her living in this particular time in naval history. As her thoughts turned towards home, she deeply wished to be back where she belonged.

"There is no use in you pouting, Elsie." She admonished herself. "Keep your chin up and push on. There is nothing else you can do right at this minute so calm yourself." Taking a deep breath and running her hand over her weary eyes, she paused at a bookshelf skimming through the titles to see if she recognized any of them. Reading always seemed to calm her mind when nothing else could. A few titles seemed familiar, but one book in particular stood out to her. It was a book with a worn binding, obviously used more often than the others. She handled the book with tender care as she strained to read the title.

"_Socrates Dialogues_" she murmured to herself. Now this was fascinating to her. Content with her selection, she plopped down rather unceremoniously onto the bed she had just made and began to read. She was so immersed in her reading that she didn't hear the knock that persisted at her door, nor did she hear the door open.

"Ahem, Miss Kirk?" Captain Norrington raised an eyebrow as she jumped at the sound of his voice. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, I am just brushing up on my philosophy." She laughed lightly as she shut the book. She offered him the book as he nodded in understanding.

"Ah yes. "He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post to fight against the enemy." Words my father taught me from a young age when I wished to join the Navy. He gave me this book to remember the words of the great philosopher. To be frank, I haven't held this book in a long time. This pirate infestation has taken away most of my time for studying the finer points." He chuckled placing the book back on the shelf.

Thinking for a moment she chimed, "Yes, but I also believe Socrates said, "Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."

"You, Miss Kirk, are correct. Thank you for pointing out my error." He bowed earning a genuine smile from Elsie. "But enough of philosophy, I have brought something for you to wear." Elsie had failed to notice the bundle of clothes that Captain Norrington had in his hand when he entered the room. Giving a polite thank you, she took the bundle from his arms and began to lay out her new ensemble. "Once we reach our next port, we will have to find more appropriate attire, but at the moment, this will have to do." He watched as her fingers brushed over the fabric, taking in all of the details. "Will this be to your satisfaction, Miss Kirk?"

"Oh yes, this will be more than enough, thank you." _If only my father would see this_.

Elsie made quick work of putting her new clothes on and used a black ribbon to tie back her wavy locks. After having very little time or opportunity to take a proper bath, her hair felt salty and unmanageable warranting it to be tamed by her fingers and a crisp bow. She did look like a proper midshipman. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door to make her way to the deck to find Captain Norrington.

It took a few blinks of her eyes to adjust to the sudden barrage of sunlight before her. Breathing in the fresh sea air, she felt even better than when she was confined to her quarters. Unable to locate Captain Norrington right away, Elsie took it upon herself to look around the deck and see the activity around her, of course while looking for the captain. No matter where she was, she made sure to be aware of her surroundings. It was not uncommon in her medical school rotations to sit back and see everything that was happening around her. It improved her reaction time to emergencies and made her a better medical student. Now she used her skills as she slowly made her way around the deck. No one took particular notice to her, which she liked at the moment. If they were to hem and haw over her, she would never get the true feeling of the ship and the crew that worked on her. Grinning to herself, Elsie brushed her fingers over the thick ropes that adorned the side of the vessel.

While observing the crew, she noticed that Lieutenant Gillette was also on duty calling out orders and going about his duties. She appreciated the air of authority that he possessed, but also noticed the friendship that he carried with the captain and with Groves. It wasn't long before he nudged Groves and they began to make their way towards her.

"Midshipman," He called, too far away to recognize her. "You were due to report half an hour ago for lessons in navigation. This tardiness is uncalled for. What do you have to say for yourself?" He drew closer, but still failed to recognize their passenger.

"I…" She stammered unable to think of a response. Gillette's face reddened when he noticed that she was not a midshipman, but Miss Kirk.

"Oh! Miss Kirk!" He quickly rushed to apologize. "I beg your pardon. I mistook you for a midshipman…" His words trailing off as he saw Groves laughing behind Elsie. Throwing him a look that could have killed, he turned back to their guest. "I meant no disrespect."

"Lieutenant, I assure you that I will not be tardy for my lessons in navigation or swordsmanship. Unfortunately, I wasn't notified that I would be required to attend." She replied with a hint of sarcasm. Gillette turned a darker shade of pink, to Groves' delight, which made Elsie laugh even more. "It was an honest mistake, Sir. I am sure that it won't happen again," she replied, saluting in modern fashion to a very bewildered Gillette.

"Indeed," he muttered. "But I must ask, to what event are your referring to? My mistaking you for a midshipman or your tardiness?" He ventured to ask, for her reply confused him even more.

"That is for me to know and you to find out." And with that, she walked away flashing a grin to both men set to go look for Captain Norrington. She needed a status update on the wounded sailor, for he had been on her mind through much of the day.

"Theo?" Gillette asked after Elsie made her way to the captain. "Did you make sense of what she meant?" Groves just chuckled and made his way back to his post.

"I believe Miss Kirk has just outwitted you, Phillip." He grinned.

"Indeed, she has. A strange one indeed." And with that, he made his way back to his pupils to review navigation charts.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello lovelies! So a few days ago was my 3 year anniversary of my story! *Confetti? It's a parade!* So I have decided to celebrate by updating with another chapter! Woot! Where I live, it is crazy cold, so I really wish I could be magically transported to the Caribbean. Anywho, please review! Feedback will be helpful!

Also, a special thanks to my great friend, Silvertounged Dreams for doing my cover art! She's great. Read her story. Anyways, enough of my babbling!

(Vanderbilt MDs is now my new favorite show. Watch it if you like medicine) ((And to the guest reviewers: y'all need to get an account! That's what pushed me to get one!))

Thanks so much everyone! Your support has been amazing. Sorry for the longest author note ever.

~Elanor

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><p>Captain Norrington escorted Elsie below decks to see Doctor Cresswell and the injured sailor. She walked down ladders and through all the insides of the ship. At the moment when she felt the most lost, Norrington came to a halt, asking her to stand and wait for a moment while he made sure everything was all set for her to walk in. <em>Would hate to see a man without his shirt on, because I haven't seen anything like that before.<em> She thought sarcastically to herself as she thought of all the incidents in which a man didn't have his shirt on. But then she had to remind herself that this was the 18th century and that sort of thing was considered scandalous.

"Miss Kirk, if you would follow me." Norrington beckoned for her to follow him through the door to sickbay. Her eyes immediately fell on the sailor who was still asleep. Her heart broke in two as she noticed his brow wrinkled in pain and the sheen of sweat visible. Doctor Cresswell was attending to him, writing in his ledger, but looked up when he saw his patient and the captain.

"Miss Kirk, Captain Norrington, I take it you both are well today?" he inquired in his cheery manner. Elsie smiled freely as she nodded her head. He noticed her attention was not on herself, but the sailor, so he began to make his report. "Our other guest has not made as speedy a recovery as you, Miss Kirk. While I have sewn up his gashes and wounds to the best of my ability, there is still a chance that the lacerations could become infected. The wounds I am most concerned with are these here on his face and down the right side of the body. They seemed to be the deepest."

Elsie's face was blank as she took in all of the information presented to her. She walked closer to the sailor and looked to the doctor for permission to touch him.

"My dear, do whatever you think is necessary. I know your background." He chuckled gaining another smile from Elsie. Taking a deep breath, she began by asking for the doctor's pocket watch. He gladly handed it over and watched as she opened it. It was to her satisfaction, so she nodded and turned her back to the two men. Captain Norrington and Doctor Cresswell observed as she ran through a whole list of vitals from taking his heart rate to measuring respiration. After doing what she could, she sat on the chair next to his bed, watching him. A look of concern covered her face as she muttered to herself. Elsie was so engrossed in watching the sailor, she didn't listen when the two men quietly moved to the other side of the room to talk.

"Doctor Cresswell, what do you make of this situation?" He spoke in hushed tones to the Doctor who stood opposite himself.

"To which party are you referring to, James?"

"I suppose first Miss Kirk," He offered, taking in the scene before him.

"Well for Miss Kirk, I believe that she feels responsible for the wellbeing of this young man. You know she was training to become a physician. She gets very quiet when I mention him, although I am still unsure as to why. Concerning her health, I believe she has made a full recovery. " The doctor watched as she took the sailors hand and gently rubbed his hand. "The sailor has a lot of healing to do, James. I am concerned that he won't recover. And if that happens, we will have a distraught girl on our hands. "

No one spoke for a long while, her eyes glazed over deep in thought. Suddenly, the man stirred, making Elsie lean forward in surprise.

"Doctor, I think he is waking!" Elsie backed up quickly to give room to Doctor Cresswell and Captain Norrington. Both men walked over, surprise evident on their faces, recalling the likely hood of the sailor recovering. The man took a few shaky breaths, but opened his eyes. He looked around, startled at his surroundings.

"Where am I?" He wildly looked around the room. His eyes locked with Elsie, who was as pale as a ghost.

"Steady, man," Norrington placed his hand on his shoulder, "You are on the Royal Navy vessel, _Dauntless_. I am Captain James Norrington. Do you remember anything, your name?" He inquired as the young man laid back on the cot, eyes sliding shut.

"My name is Andrew McFadden of the Merchant Vessel _Serenity_, bo'sun's mate, sir. The last thing I can remember was being on the ship when it was attacked by pirates. But I can't seem to recall what those bastards wanted." He hesitated as he looked over at Elsie. "You, you were there." Elsie swallowed as she walked forward slowly to the side of the sailor.

"Yes, yes I was…" Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the ground. She was startled when the man reached for her hand. It was icy cold, but he held her hand forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Thank you…" He smiled laying back, closing his eyes. Elsie just stood there remembering the blue eyes that made her blood run cold.

"Perhaps, Miss Kirk, we should let him get his rest. Captain, we will be able to get more information out him once he has rested. Come along, dear." The Doctor gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"No, I must stay with him. Please." She pleaded with him, concern evident on her face.

"As you wish, Miss Kirk. Captain?" Elsie watched as they both left the room. She found her seat again and resumed her post watching him sleep.

It had been a few hours since the sailor had woken up. During her time with him, she gently bathed his forehead with clean rags of water. At one point a steward had brought her a meal, causing Elsie to look at the pocket watch for the time. It had been a while since she had eaten, and the day had grown later than what she thought. She eagerly ate her soup and bread, excited to have something of substance to break her fast. After finishing her meal she took the man's hand again hoping to give some much needed comfort. She was surprised when his hand grasped hers causing her to jump.

"Andrew?" She called out softly. His eyes opened and he smiled at her.

"Ah I see you are back watching over me." A blush covered Elsie's cheeks as he eyed her carefully. "Alas, I don't know your name, miss."

"My name is Elsie." She gently brushed his hair out of his face.

"Alright Miss Elsie it is. I am glad to know that you survived the attack." His eyes grew wide as he began to recall what happened. "Miss Elsie! The ship, pirates!" He grew panicked and tried to get out of bed.

"You stop this instant! The Doctor said not to get too excited and to rest. I promise you that if you wait a moment, I can go get the captain and-"

"No, please you must listen. The pirate's name is Captain Bowman. He is one of the worst sorts of pirates. He gives no mercy to anyone!" He grabbed at her arm in urgency. "He is searching these waters for Jack Sparrow because he has something… a trinket that has this bastard, begging your pardon miss, on the warpath. All for some absurd bauble." He muttered to himself, agitating his bandages making Elsie slightly flustered.

"You must calm down, I will relay this to the captain but please you must settle down." She rearranged the bandages and made sure that he was completely covered with his blankets. Before turning to leave he reached back up and grabbed her arm causing her to stop.

"I know your face. You were my angel," awe covered his face. "You saved me from a watery grave." Her face softened at this.

"I couldn't just sit by and not help."

"If I remember correctly, you sang something to me. Please will you sit and sing to me again?" He asked starting to drift off to sleep.

"Of course." She sat back down, but by the time she had turned back, he was already asleep. "I will watch over you, your guardian angel." And with that she began to sing.

Of all the money that e'er I had

I spent it in good company

And all the harm I've ever done

Alas it was to none but me

And all I've done for want of wit

To mem'ry now I can't recall

So fill to me the parting glass

Good night and joy be to you all

So fill to me the parting glass

And drink a health whate'er befalls

And gently rise and softly call

Good night and joy be to you all

Of all the comrades that e'er I had

They're sorry for my going away

And all the sweethearts that e'er I had

They'd wish me one more day to stay

But since it fell unto my lot

That I should rise and you should not

I gently rise and softly call

Good night and joy be to you all

Fill to me the parting glass

And drink a health whate'er befalls

And gently rise and softly call

Good night and joy be to you all

But since it fell unto my lot

That I should rise and you should not

I gently rise and softly call

Good night and joy be to you all

Good night and joy be to you all.

Her eyes grew misty as she finished her song for the poor sailor. Her hand hastily wiped away her tears, but that didn't go unnoticed by Doctor Cresswell, who had walked into the room after she had begun her song.

"My dear, are you alright?" His voice startled her, breaking her out of her trance. She shook her head no, feeling a deep sadness cover her. She couldn't choke the words out, but she went and embraced him like she would her father. Doctor Cresswell gently patted her on her back and held her while she cried.

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><p>Song above is called The Parting Glass. Listen. It's beautiful and the lyrics are so moving.<p>

Also, how would you envision James and Doctor Cresswell's friendship starting? Write a review or PM me! Give me ideas! If they are good enough, you will get some credit and a nice little shout out.


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